A study warns: Electronic smoking harms teeth and gums.
The researchers pointed out that vaping increases the risk of bleeding gums by 27% because it creates a sticky layer over the biofilm of bacteria already in the mouth, which increases the risk of infection.
The warning was issued by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, after scientists analyzed many years of tracking data that looked at the relationship between smoking and poor dental health among thousands of American men and women. In 2021 and 2022, annual tracking data collected from smokers from 2013 to 2019 were analyzed, and the dental problems under study were tracked among approximately 10,000 to 16,000 men and women.
The researchers found that regular users of regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes and hookahs had a significantly higher risk of developing various forms of dental problems.
Among the possible problems for the teeth are gum diseases, including cancerous mouth diseases, bone loss surrounding the teeth, or tooth loss due to tooth decay or gum disease.
The study revealed that vaping, which some believe is safer than tobacco, was linked to a 27% higher risk of bleeding after brushing or flossing.
Dr. Purnima Kumar, a spokeswoman for the American Dental Association, said smoking increases the risk of gum disease.
Finally, cigarettes and vaping were linked to a 33% higher risk of gum disease, a 35% higher risk of loose teeth, and a 43% higher risk of tooth loss, while cigar use was associated with more than double the risk of oral cancer.
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